4.1 Digital Equity
Candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. (PSC 4.1/ISTE 5a)
Artifact 1 and Artifact 2
My Current Reality and SWOT Analysis helped guide me through gaining a clearer understanding of my school and district’s (Cobb County School District, 2020) technology needs. The Current Reality and SWOT Analysis coincided with the disruption that COVID-19 provided. The project helped me focus on the strength and weaknesses within our school and district. My SWOT Analysis, along with my need’s assessment helped me determine how well McClure Middle School (MMS) did aligning its strategic plan (McClure Middle School, 2020) to standards-based assessments, like the GSAPS Review. The Current Reality and SWOT Analysis were conducted by me, based on goals and data found in our school strategic plan.
Standard 4.1, Digital Equity – asks candidates to model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. This artifact demonstrates my ability to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and needs related to instructional technology to align, develop, and implement a strategic plan for improvement. A large part of my school’s strategic plan focuses on the social and emotional learning of our students. Providing laptops for students also addresses this need for both teachers and learners. Since completing this artifact, our district has in fact distributed laptops to all the students within our district. The Current Reality and SWOT Analysis show I can model and model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources. It also provides insight into how to pursue funding in future initiatives, as well as the reflections and strategies needed to interact with relevant stakeholders. As evidenced by my portfolio, I am prepared to lead and model strategies for achieving equitable access to technology-related best practices for all students and teachers.
Completing the Current Reality and SWOT Analysis provided me with tremendous insight. From this experience, I learned how to assess, and analyze how well my school aligned with national technology standards. Standards and technology needs are so critical these days in education. I was able to see during this experience that we have a lot of work to do, but I also Identified that we have a great faculty and financial support at MMS. All these realizations are going to need to be discussed for us to move closer to where we need to go. Many of the issues I highlighted are already being improved through initiatives like our 1:1 initiative. CTLS, our learning management system also helps us close gaps and provide digital equity. We will, however, need dedicated team members to help bridge gaps and help us continue to grow as a school. To further enhance this project, I need to share it with my administration. Regretfully, this is something that I have not done yet. I am certain they would appreciate the feedback, and perhaps this will help them realize that we need to make more of a commitment as a school towards implementing educational technology. Unfortunately, my assessment doesn’t equate to the assessments of our administration, although we agree on many things.
Analysis like the Current Reality and SWOT Analysis project is necessary for improving strategic planning to help improve teaching and learning. By conducting this analysis, I have the skills needed to make meaningful change at MMS. I have identified strengths and weaknesses, and this project can help drive and agenda for an Educational Technology Committee. The work done by an Educational Technology Committee can also be implemented into our strategic plan at MMS. This is an area that needs improvement as has been identified and supported by Current Reality and GSAPS Review. The Current Reality can be assessed by the goals listed in our school strategic plan.
References
Cobb County School District. (2020, August 13). CTLS Learn: Cobb’s Exciting and Innovative Digital Classroom. CobbCast. Retrieved from
http://cobbcast.cobbk12.org/?p=34220
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (n.d.). Essential Conditions | ISTE. International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from
https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions
McClure Middle School (2020, n.d.). 2020-2021 McClure School Strategic Plan. https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/medialib/2b664214021.pdf
Standard 4.1, Digital Equity – asks candidates to model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. This artifact demonstrates my ability to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and needs related to instructional technology to align, develop, and implement a strategic plan for improvement. A large part of my school’s strategic plan focuses on the social and emotional learning of our students. Providing laptops for students also addresses this need for both teachers and learners. Since completing this artifact, our district has in fact distributed laptops to all the students within our district. The Current Reality and SWOT Analysis show I can model and model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources. It also provides insight into how to pursue funding in future initiatives, as well as the reflections and strategies needed to interact with relevant stakeholders. As evidenced by my portfolio, I am prepared to lead and model strategies for achieving equitable access to technology-related best practices for all students and teachers.
Completing the Current Reality and SWOT Analysis provided me with tremendous insight. From this experience, I learned how to assess, and analyze how well my school aligned with national technology standards. Standards and technology needs are so critical these days in education. I was able to see during this experience that we have a lot of work to do, but I also Identified that we have a great faculty and financial support at MMS. All these realizations are going to need to be discussed for us to move closer to where we need to go. Many of the issues I highlighted are already being improved through initiatives like our 1:1 initiative. CTLS, our learning management system also helps us close gaps and provide digital equity. We will, however, need dedicated team members to help bridge gaps and help us continue to grow as a school. To further enhance this project, I need to share it with my administration. Regretfully, this is something that I have not done yet. I am certain they would appreciate the feedback, and perhaps this will help them realize that we need to make more of a commitment as a school towards implementing educational technology. Unfortunately, my assessment doesn’t equate to the assessments of our administration, although we agree on many things.
Analysis like the Current Reality and SWOT Analysis project is necessary for improving strategic planning to help improve teaching and learning. By conducting this analysis, I have the skills needed to make meaningful change at MMS. I have identified strengths and weaknesses, and this project can help drive and agenda for an Educational Technology Committee. The work done by an Educational Technology Committee can also be implemented into our strategic plan at MMS. This is an area that needs improvement as has been identified and supported by Current Reality and GSAPS Review. The Current Reality can be assessed by the goals listed in our school strategic plan.
References
Cobb County School District. (2020, August 13). CTLS Learn: Cobb’s Exciting and Innovative Digital Classroom. CobbCast. Retrieved from
http://cobbcast.cobbk12.org/?p=34220
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (n.d.). Essential Conditions | ISTE. International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from
https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions
McClure Middle School (2020, n.d.). 2020-2021 McClure School Strategic Plan. https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/medialib/2b664214021.pdf
